Month: June 2017

Fifty Years Of Corporation For Public Broadcasting, Public Broadcasting System, And National Public Radio, Due To Lyndon B. Johnson!

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The Corporation For Public Broadcasting was signed into law fifty years ago, in 1967, by President Lyndon B. Johnson, with the purpose of providing funding for public television and public radio.

Out of the legislation came the Public Broadcasting System (PBS), and National Public Radio (NPR).

Educational programming, including cultural and entertainment offerings, and investigation of history, science, nature, and news events and analysis, have been offered for a half century.

Children’s shows, including Sesame Street among its offerings, has enlightened the lives of generations of young people.

The American Experience; Nova; Frontline; Charlie Rose; Independent Lens; PBS News Hour; and Washington Week are among the great offerings of PBS.

On NPR, such programming as All Things Considered; Morning Edition; Fresh Air; On Point; and many Music shows are regularly available.

PBS and NPR are a great national treasure, and yet, if it was left up to Donald Trump and the Republican Party, it would be wiped out completely as far as tax support, although the total cost per person is extremely low, presently $455 million out of a $4 trillion national budget.

Each citizen in the United States pays $1.35 toward public broadcasting, a measly amount now in danger from a President who devalues education in a massive manner!

NPR gains 37.4 million listeners, and PBS has 350 stations across the nation. Listeners and watchers contribute about 86 percent of all funding, with federal, state, and local government putting in the additional 14 percent.

Public Media is one of the many gifts that Lyndon B. Johnson gave us, and it is essential to keep this wonderful contribution to our national culture alive and prospering with some government support!

Republican Party History And Reputation Under Attack In Present Constitutional Crisis

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The Republican Party was founded in 1854 in opposition to the expansion of slavery, and included many abolitionists within its midst.

The Republican Party became the Party of the Union, and under Abraham Lincoln, the first Republican President, the Civil War was fought, and the Confederate States of America was defeated, and slavery was abolished.

The Republican Party then promoted citizenship and the right to vote for African Americans.

Then, the party lost its way and became the party of Big Business in the Gilded Age, and was engaged in widespread corruption.

But in the Progressive Era of the early 20th century, under President Theodore Roosevelt, and Congressional leaders such as Robert La Follette Sr. of Wisconsin and George Norris of Nebraska and many others, the party became one of reform oriented ideas.

Then, in the 1920s and through the years of Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry Truman, the party became one of opposition to progressive ideas, with a few exceptions of leaders in Congress and in the states.

With the coming of Dwight D. Eisenhower, and the rise of the liberal wing of the modern GOP, under Nelson Rockefeller, William Scranton, and George Romney. and many US Senators, the battle was fought against a takeover of the party by the extreme right, headed by Senator Barry Goldwater, but despite his defeat for the Presidency in 1964, the coming of Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan ushered in conservative ideas, and the GOP became captive to the myth of Reagan.

The party became captive to a foreign policy of intervention in the Middle East, and promotion of massive tax cuts to the wealthy, and destruction of the Great Society of Lyndon B. Johnson and the New Deal of Franklin D. Roosevelt, but were stopped in their quest by Democratic Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.

Now, however, the Republican Party has become more extremist under the most corrupt President in American history, much more than Richard Nixon.

Donald Trump is for the wealthy elite, and that is why the Republicans in Congress are overlooking the disaster occurring before our eyes daily.

The Republican Party history and reputation are under attack in the present constitutional crisis, while at the time of the Nixon constitutional crisis, many Republicans spoke up and led the struggle against the illegalities of the Watergate Scandal.

The future of the Republican Party is at stake, and this could be the time that we will look back on and realize that it led to the demise of the Republican Party as we know it!

Trump Reversal Of Cuban Policy Of Obama A Massive Blunder And Sign Of Total Hypocrisy!

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Donald Trump is continuing his mission of destroying the Obama legacy in every way possible.

So now, in Miami, and to appease Marco Rubio and the Diaz Balarts (one of whom is a Congressman), he has reversed Barack Obama’s policy of ending the embargo on Cuba, which failed for 57 years.

So now it will be more difficult for Americans to travel to Cuba, and business dealings designed to open up Cuban society after six decades of isolation will be curbed.

Ironically, this massive blunder and sign of total hypocrisy comes after the death of Fidel Castro, and the planned retirement of Raul Castro early in 2018.

This is precisely the time to work to open up Cuba, but the effect will be more Russian and Chinese intervention in economic terms in the island nation.

And to think we almost went to war in 1962 over Russian intervention in Cuba, and now we are promoting it by our narrow minded, outdated policy toward the Cuban regime.

Having isolated them for nearly six decades did NOT make Cuba a democracy, and doing that now will not help to democratize Cuba as much as interaction and influence.

We have people who condemn Cuba’s government because of violation of human rights, and in that, we all concur, BUT somehow, we have dealings and business with many nations that systematically violate human rights, including Russia, China, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt, the Philippines, and innumerable others.

But an island 90 miles from the Florida Keys is too full of sin, apparently, that we spite ourselves, and deny Cuban Americans free access to their relatives and heritage in their home nation, all because of extremist right wing Cubans in America who have no concern about human rights, but only about their desire to take back property confiscated at the time of the Cuban Revolution.

Yes, that is an outrage, but after six decades, and looking at victims of despotic governments elsewhere, the only reason for such intransigence by our government toward Cuba is because of the political significance of Florida in the Congress and in Presidential elections.

Why, for instance, do we say nothing about violations of human rights on a much wider scale, and instead embrace such a brutal government as Saudi Arabia, from where the September 11 hijackers came from?

How does Cuba affect national security, when Russia and Saudi Arabia and China in particular do so, and yet we treat them as nations we are willing to work with?

Two Years Of Donald Trump, 148 Days Of Presidency: 60 Percent Disapproval, Higher Than Any President In Public Opinion Poll History This Early!

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It has been two years since Donald Trump announced he was running for President. and it has been 148 days since he was sworn in as President.

And Donald Trump reached the age of 71 on June 14, two days before the two year anniversary of his campaign beginning.

And what does he have to show for it?

He has divided America like no one else, and has only gained a Supreme Court Justice, Neil Gorsuch, after the Republicans in the US Senate changed the filibuster rules to allow a nominee to be confirmed with only 51 votes.

Everything else is hot air, lies, and coverup of Russian collusion, and trying to get the intelligence agencies, Congress, and the news media to stop investigating the corruption of his Presidency and the campaign before the election. And Trump has helped to indict himself with his Twitter activity, and his teenage emotional IQ.

So therefore, it is not surprising that the latest polls show 60 percent of the American people disapprove of his record and performance, the earliest in a Presidency that such a high disapproval rating has occurred since polls began to be taken in the time of Franklin D. Roosevelt.

The following nine Presidents never reached a 60 percent disapproval rating–Roosevelt, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Clinton, and Obama.

Four Presidents did reach 60 percent disapproval, but at very late dates in their Presidencies.

Truman reached 60 percent after 2129 days; Nixon after 1736 days; H W Bush after 1290 days; and W Bush after 1758 days.

So Trump is a total failure, and even 25 percent of Republicans are totally disillusioned, while his approval rating is as low as 35-36 percent.

This insures that Trump will end up at the bottom of the heap in ranking of Presidents, except by totally delusional and ignorant people, who have no clue as to what good Presidential leadership is all about.

The Plot Thickens As Mike Pence Hires An Attorney, And Jared Kushner Faces Business Dealings Investigation

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So now the plot thickens, as Vice President Mike Pence has hired an attorney, and Trump son in law Jared Kushner is being investigated on his business dealings.

This makes the Trump scandal investigation even more complex, but occurring at a pace unmatched in the Watergate era of Richard Nixon.

The fact that Mike Pence feels a need to “lawyer up” is a danger sign for him, as it may mean that he has been compromised by being the Vice President for Donald Trump, and may have damaged his own reputation and credibility, meaning once again Donald Trump has done harm and may have destroyed the reputation of yet another person who is in his orbit throughout his life.

The possibility of Speaker of the House Paul Ryan being the beneficiary of the possible downfall of Mike Pence is chilling, as this author and blogger warned five years ago how horrible and disgraceful a person Ryan was, to put in line for the Presidency, when he ran for Vice President in the Presidential campaign of Mitt Romney. For that, I was bitterly criticized and attacked by right wing sources, including the BLAZE of Glenn Beck, and had nasty emails sent to me for expressing my right to freedom of speech.

One could argue that Ryan too has been compromised by working along with a man that he clearly has little personal regard for, all in his obsessive desire to take away the social safety net from the poor, and yet claiming to be a “good Catholic”, a true mockery of the teachings of the faith, as brilliantly expressed by Pope Francis in the Vatican.

Gun Violence Against Congressman Steve Scalise And Others Deplorable, And Incited By Bad Blood On Both Sides, And By Donald Trump!

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The shocking violence in Alexandria, Virginia, by a crazed gunman, who shot five people, including House Majority Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana is a sign of escalating violence in this nation, incited by bad blood on both sides of the political spectrum, but also by Donald Trump, who in the past two years has called for violence against his opponent Hillary Clinton, and encouraged violence by his supporters at his campaign rallies against any critics, and that he would pay their legal costs, or so he said.

The political invective is higher now than it has been since the Civil War Era, and Trump cannot be said to be innocent in any fashion, and he likes to act like a bully, and intimidate his critics and opponents. But also, the two parties, Democrats and Republicans, have reached a stage where they cannot “cross the aisle”, as they often did in past decades, to accomplish major goals in legislation.

And conservative talk radio and Fox News Channel has also incited people with their poisonous atmosphere–including Rush Limbaugh, Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity, Mark Levin, Michael Savage, Laura Ingraham, Ann Coulter, Tucker Carlson, and so many others, all of whom spew hatred.

Some conservatives try to claim that Rachel Maddow, Lawrence O’Donnell, Chris Hayes, Jake Tapper, Anderson Cooper, and others considered to be progressives, are doing the same thing on their programs, but that is pure BS!

The political atmosphere has been deteriorating for the past 25 years since Bill Clinton came to the Presidency, and many of the talk show hosts on the Right have become multimillionaires in the process, and Republican leadership has gone along with this to gain their own agenda.

The fact that the shooter of Steve Scalise and others was a Bernie Sanders supporter in 2016, will, assuredly make the right wing talk show hosts further inflame the situation, so those on the left cannot remain silent, as some are advocating.

We deplore the shooting, and do not advocate violence, but that does not mean we shall remain silent in the midst of government abuses and illegalities.

The American people expect their government to be accountable to its citizenry!

The Growing Evidence Of Mental Deterioration, Instability, And Pure Madness Of Donald Trump!

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Many supporters of Donald Trump are living in denial, in a state of refusing to accept reality.

The man has been mentally deteriorating with the pressures of the Presidency over the past five months, and now there are reports that he plans to fire Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is leading an investigation of the Trump scandals on Russia, on the firing of FBI head James Comey, and on Trump’s breaking of the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution.

His instability and erratic behavior is alarming, as he could start a nuclear war in a fit of anger.

He is capable of declaring martial law, if and when a September 11 type attack occurs, or even one far less significant and damaging than that event was.

He is even capable of staging such an attack, copying the strategy of Adolf Hitler, who staged the Reichstag Fire within months after his accession to power in 1933, using it as a pretext to destroy the German Constitution and traditions, and establish his dictatorship.

In many ways, Trump shows signs of madness, and many psychiatrists and psychologists have warned us of the dangers he presents to America and the world.

Many critics would say how can any medical doctor or psychiatrist come to such conclusions without “examining the patient”?

They forget that his staff and others he interacts with see him every day, and have expressed alarm anonymously, at the state of chaos and anxiety in the Oval Office, as Trump thinks things are running smoothly and everything is being accomplished splendidly, and as he rants and raves on Twitter at all hours of the night.

There is enough evidence of how dangerous Donald Trump is, and it is not as if he is just your “crazy uncle” or the next door neighbor.

He is the President of the United States, with the ability to start a world war and destroy our Constitution and Bill of Rights, and it is high time that political leaders of the majority Republican Party come to grips with reality, and do what they should be doing—moving to force Donald Trump out of office as necessary for the nation’s welfare.

In other words, put nation ahead of loyalty to a man, as the American Presidency and American government are more than any person’s advancement or glorification.

We do not wish to see the destruction of the international order, or the dissolution of all of the wonderful programs domestically put into law under administrations of both Democratic and Republican Presidents!

The Sycophants Of The Trump Cabinet And Staff: How Is It Different Than Hitler, Stalin, Putin, Kim Jong Un, And Any Other Dictator?

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It was absolutely sickening to see the entire Trump cabinet and staff put on a performance of “kissing up” to their boss at a televised cabinet meeting yesterday.

This has NEVER happened before, to have the cabinet and advisers act like sycophants, overwhelmingly praising the President for the fact that they have their positions within the administration.

Any Presidential cabinet members from earlier Presidencies would be totally embarrassed and outraged at the image of such outrageous behavior, as if Donald Trump was Adolf Hitler,or Joseph Stalin from the past; or Vladimir Putin or Kim Jong Un or other present day dictators, where those around the “boss” overtly praise their leader in fear of their own lives!

What is wrong with Trump, that he needs this constant boost of ego and worship? This is obnoxious, sick behavior, and has been ridiculed appropriately in the news media, and in a mocking way by Senate Minority leader and Democrat Chuck Schumer of New York with his staff!

It is now clear that there is no chance of the cabinet or Vice President Mike Pence invoking the 25th Amendment, Section 4, no matter how erratic Trump acts, so now we have more to worry about, including a potential nuclear strike against North Korea or Iran; and if a serious terrorist attack like September 11 were to happen, that Trump might wish to declare martial law, and suspend the Constitution and Bill of Rights!

George H. W. Bush 93 Years Old Today, Third President To Reach 93, After Ronald Reagan And Gerald Ford!

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President George H. W. Bush is 93 years old today, making him the third President to reach that age, after Ronald Reagan and Gerald Ford.

Ford has the record of longevity, 93 years and 165 days; and Reagan had 93 years and 120 days, so Ford outlasted Reagan by 45 days.

If Bush is still alive on November 25 of this year, he will surpass the Ford longevity record.

On October 1, Jimmy Carter will be 93 years old, and if he survives to March 16 of 2018, he will surpass Ford’s longevity as well.

So we have had three Presidents in office since 1974 who have reached 93, and all four Presidents from 1974 to the beginning of 1993 will have reached that age in the next three and a half months.

That is an amazing record, and only two other Presidents reached the age of 90–John Adams at 90 and 7 months and Herbert Hoover at 90 years and 2 months.

It Is Time For Donald Trump’s Staff, Advisers, And Cabinet To Resign, As A Message To The President That He Should Resign!

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After four months of chaos, anarchy, insults, misbehavior, and outrageous words and actions by Donald Trump, it is time for his staff. advisers, and cabinet to resign as a group, as a message to the President that he should resign.

It is never easy to work for a President, and it is considered an honor and a lift to a future career and wealth, so it is understandable that many of those around any President might be reluctant to take drastic action such as mass resignation.

But one’s reputation is also at stake, and one can earn wealth in the future just by having been on a President’s staff.

One does not need to take unreasonable abuse and mistreatment, as so many around Donald Trump have suffered.

One must have personal dignity and principle, and decide that enough is enough.

For instance, Sean Spicer, the White House Press Secretary, has been horribly mistreated, and he is just the tip of the iceberg. And Reince Priebus, the White House Chief Of Staff, is not respected by his boss.

And his top Cabinet members often contradict him publicly, and then Trump reasserts the outrageous statements that ha has made, which they have tried to “clean up”.

When the National Security Adviser H. R. McMaster; and the Secretary of Defense James Mattis; and the Secretary of State Rex Tillerson; and the United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, among others, find themselves totally ignored, and they witness the irrational behavior of Donald Trump, they are not doing a service to ignore such erratic behavior, and are undermining the safety and national security of the United States.

It is time for men and women of principle to stand up and say they will not tolerate such disgraceful behavior, and that the President has shown by his words and actions that he is not fit to be President.

And this means Vice President Mike Pence must also start serious consideration of invoking the 25th Amendment, Section 4, as the commitment of the Vice President and the Cabinet is to do what is good for America, not for any one man who happens to be President.

Clearly, Donald Trump is unhinged, dangerous, and could start a nuclear war, and or declare martial law, horrifying thoughts that require a steady hand at the controls, not a wacky, unstable, narcissistic maniac named Donald Trump!